TLDR
Roman Storm has already raised over $3.9 million for his defense.
Tornado Cash’s case could set a precedent for crypto privacy tools.
The trial, ongoing in New York, might conclude by August 11, 2025.
The Ethereum Foundation has contributed $750,000 to the defense fund.
As the landmark trial for Roman Storm continues, the Tornado Cash co-creator has asked for a $1.5 million lifeline to cover mounting legal expenses. With the trial entering its third week, Storm’s legal fees are quickly escalating, prompting the urgent call for additional funding. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Storm shared the challenges his legal team faces, noting that they are working “around the clock” to manage the complex case.
Legal Defense Fund Grows Amid Growing Expenses
Roman Storm has already received substantial financial backing for his legal defense. Over $3.9 million has been raised by the crypto community since the trial began on July 14 in Manhattan, New York. In addition, the Ethereum Foundation successfully reached its fundraising goal of $750,000 to assist Storm with his legal costs.
However, Storm’s latest plea for $1.5 million highlights how rapidly expenses are increasing, particularly as the trial enters its final stages.
🚨 Urgent Call for Support 🚨
We’re running out of time — legal costs are piling up fast, and we urgently need your help.
If you believe in open-source, privacy, and standing up to injustice, please donate now. Every bit counts 🙏It sounds crazy, but…
— Roman Storm 🇺🇸 🌪️ (@rstormsf) July 26, 2025
Storm commented that his legal team has been working long hours, with “every hour count[ing]” in the pursuit of justice. He emphasized how demanding the process has been for everyone involved, noting the toll it has taken on the team’s well-being. Despite these challenges, Storm continues to push forward in defense of Tornado Cash, a protocol he believes is critical for the privacy rights of the broader crypto community.
Tornado Cash Protocol Faces Legal Scrutiny
The legal battle surrounding Tornado Cash is about much more than Roman Storm’s future. It could set a crucial precedent for the role of open-source privacy tools in the cryptocurrency space. The U.S. government has accused Storm of facilitating money laundering, violating U.S. sanctions, and running an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
The charges stem from his involvement in Tornado Cash, a decentralized crypto mixing tool that allows users to anonymize their transactions.
While the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash in August 2022, citing its use by criminal actors like the Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacking group, those sanctions were reversed in January after users of Tornado Cash filed a lawsuit. Tornado Cash was officially removed from the U.S. blacklist in March. However, the trial continues, and prosecutors maintain that the protocol has facilitated illegal activity.
Role of Tornado Cash and Its Co-Creators
Roman Storm co-created Tornado Cash in 2019 alongside Alexey Pertsev and Roman Semenov. The trio was inspired by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin to develop the protocol, which helps enhance privacy for users on the Ethereum blockchain. However, the controversy surrounding the platform has led to scrutiny from governments and regulators worldwide.
Pertsev, who faced his own legal issues in the Netherlands, was found guilty of money laundering in May 2024 and is currently appealing the decision. Semenov, however, remains at large, with the FBI listing him as a wanted individual. Despite these legal challenges, Storm continues to advocate for the protocol’s potential as a privacy tool in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
The defense team for Storm argues that Tornado Cash is a decentralized platform and that Storm’s role was simply to develop the code, not manage its use. They assert that developers of anonymizing software should not be treated as money transmitters, based on prior guidance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Moreover, they are relying on the First Amendment’s protection of free speech, suggesting that writing and publishing code should be viewed as a form of protected expression.
The trial is expected to conclude within the next two weeks, around August 11. With the future of crypto privacy tools at stake, the outcome of this case could have significant implications for developers and users in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.
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